Ectophylla alba
Silhouette: Roberto Díaz Sibaja · PhyloPic
In 3 days ~30% in a week ~50%
The Honduran white bat (Ectophylla alba), also called the Caribbean white tent-making bat, is a species of bat in the family Phyllostomatidae. It is the only member of the genus Ectophylla. The genus and the species were both scientifically described for the first time in 1892. It has distinctive, entirely white fur, which is only found in six of the roughly 1,300 known species of bat. It constructs "tents" out of understory plant leaves by strategically cutting the leaf ribs with its teeth; it roosts in these tents during the day. It is a specialist frugivore, consuming almost exclusively the fruits of one species of fig. Females can likely become pregnant twice per year, giving birth to one offspring at a time.
It is found in Honduras, Nicaragua, Costa Rica and western Panama at elevations from sea level to 700 m (2,300 ft). Due to habitat loss, it is evaluated as near-threatened by the IUCN. Its bright yellow ears, nose-leaf, and lips are a result of carotenoid deposition; the mechanism of this deposition is being researched as a way to understand and combat macular degeneration in humans.
The Honduran white bat was described as a new species, Ectophylla... Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Braulio Carrillo National Park | 🇨🇷 Costa Rica | |
| 2 | Tortuguero National Park | 🇨🇷 Costa Rica | |
| 3 | Tapantí-Macizo de la Muerte National Park | 🇨🇷 Costa Rica |
| # | Zoo / Centre | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Centro de Vida Silvestre Snake Garden | 🇨🇷 Costa Rica |
With luck
About 10% of wildlife watchers report a White Bat sighting in Tortuguero National Park on a given day, based on 12 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 16th most-seen of the 19 mammals we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 30%, and over a week to about 50%, if each day is a fresh chance.
May
In that month about 20% of wildlife watchers report a White Bat in Tortuguero National Park on a given day, against under 5% in February–March, June and November–December, the lowest months.
Between 8 and 11 am
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most White Bat sightings with a recorded time, and about 9 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.
2nd of 3
Of the 3 parks where we can rate White Bat sightings, Tortuguero National Park ranks 2nd at about 10%. The best odds are in Braulio Carrillo National Park (Costa Rica, about 20%).
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the White Bat is recorded against all the mammals logged in Tortuguero National Park (12 verified sightings from 2019 to 2026), calibrated against known sighting rates. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10% because citizen-science data supports honest approximations, not decimals, and months with records from fewer than five people show "—". How it works.
